Coimbatore: TTV Dhinakaran continued to demonstrate his magnetic hold on Tamil Nadu’s politics by organising one of the largest ever public rallies in Coimbatore on Sunday.
It was the first ever meeting of his fledgling Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) in the western belt of Tamil Nadu, considered the stronghold of the AIADMK having returned the largest chunk of legislators in the last Assembly poll, May 2016. A massive crowd that waited patiently for his arrival at the public ground near the CODISSIA complex and the thunderous cheers with which he was received underlined the cadre strength of this young and charismatic political leader, who has proved to be a surprise package.
Also by flexing his muscles outside his Thevar belt of Southern Tamil Nadu, TTV has demonstrated that he has arrived as a pan-Tamil Nadu force – something that will trouble the ruling dispensation headed by EPS and OPS as much as the main opposition, M.K.Stalin’s DMK.
Stalin, who was hoping for a post-Jayalalithaa consolidation of the anti-AIADMK votes in favour of his party, could find his calculations upset by TTV’s growing political stature. Dhinakaran had already surprised both the ruling AIADMK and the opposition DMK by edging past them in the R.K. Nagar by-election. In spite of bribery charges, the R.K. Nagar result proved that he would cut both ways–chipping away at the anti-DMK and pro-AIADMK votes that used to gravitate towards Jayalalithaa and also the anti-AIADMK votes that the DMK was eyeing in the absence of Jaya.
“Stalin was hoping to emerge as the sole alternative in the absence of Jayalalithaa. But Dhinakaran, with his charisma and organising skills, has emerged as the front runner in Tamil Nadu politics. That he is able to demonstrate such a huge crowd in the Western belt considered to be the strong hold of the present regime proves that the AIADMK cadres are solidly behind him”, said former Congress and TMC legislator from Vellore C. Gnanasekaran, who is presently with the AMMK.
He added, “Even when TTV visits a small town or village late in the night, there is a sizable crowd waiting to greet him and listen to him. He definitely is the future star of TN politics”.
The Coimbatore meeting emphasised this claim as Dhinakaran told his huge audience, “Once the judgement in the 18 MLAs case comes in our favour, this government will fall and fresh elections will take place in Tamil Nadu. We will win at least 200 out of the 234 Assembly seats and then reclaim the AIADMK name and symbol from these betrayers.”
The steady rise in TN politics post-Jaya and now this Coimbatore rally have got even the cynics and critics to seek second thoughts. “Even when Jayalalithaa had sidelined him, Dhinakaran continued to network with party functionaries and cadres. He continued to nurture these relationships, which is one reason why he has a set of loyal chieftains who are capable of organising huge rallies and organising his campaigns,” pointed out a senior lawyer. Among those ‘loyal chieftains’ is former transport minister Senthil Balaji, whose show was this Kongu rally.
Sporting his signature smile, Dhinakaran, during his impromptu yet cogent speech had the crowd in splits when he recalled how a powerful minister from the western region—he referred to him as ‘a Mani’—used to carry bundles of campaign banners from Tiruppur during the 2001 elections when he (TTV) was managing Amma’s tour. “They may have the chairs and posts with them now, but the real power of cadres is here right in front of me,” he declared amidst cheers.
The Coimbatore show could kindle second thoughts in the minds of some in the EPS-OPS camp as TTV slowly but surely tightens the grip over the Amma vote-bank.
